Sunday 21 January 2024 DAILY LECTIONARY

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Sunday 21 January 2024 
DAILY LECTIONARY

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Genesis 13:2-18

Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. He
journeyed on by stages from the Negeb as far as Bethel, to the place
where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, to
the place where he had made an altar at the first; and there Abram
called on the name of the Lord. Now Lot, who went with Abram, also had
flocks and herds and tents, so that the land could not support both of
them living together; for their possessions were so great that they
could not live together, and there was strife between the herders of
Abram’s livestock and the herders of Lot’s livestock. At that time
the Canaanites and the Perizzites lived in the land.

 Then Abram said to Lot, ‘Let there be no strife between you and
me, and between your herders and my herders; for we are kindred. Is
not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take
the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if you take the right
hand, then I will go to the left.’ Lot looked about him, and saw
that the plain of the Jordan was well watered everywhere like the
garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar;
this was before the Lord had destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. So Lot
chose for himself all the plain of the Jordan, and Lot journeyed
eastwards; thus they separated from each other. Abram settled in the
land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the Plain and
moved his tent as far as Sodom. Now the people of Sodom were wicked,
great sinners against the Lord.

 The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, ‘Raise
your eyes now, and look from the place where you are, northwards and
southwards and eastwards and westwards; for all the land that you see
I will give to you and to your offspring* for ever. I will make your
offspring like the dust of the earth; so that if one can count the
dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. Rise up, walk
through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to
you.’ So Abram moved his tent, and came and settled by the oaks* of
Mamre, which are at Hebron; and there he built an altar to the Lord.
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Galatians 2:1-10

Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas,
taking Titus along with me. I went up in response to a revelation.
Then I laid before them (though only in a private meeting with the
acknowledged leaders) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles,
in order to make sure that I was not running, or had not run, in vain.
But even Titus, who was with me, was not compelled to be circumcised,
though he was a Greek. But because of false believers* secretly
brought in, who slipped in to spy on the freedom we have in Christ
Jesus, so that they might enslave us— we did not submit to them even
for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might always remain with
you. And from those who were supposed to be acknowledged leaders (what
they actually were makes no difference to me; God shows no
partiality)—those leaders contributed nothing to me. On the
contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel for
the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel
for the circumcised (for he who worked through Peter making him an
apostle to the circumcised also worked through me in sending me to the
Gentiles), and when James and Cephas and John, who were acknowledged
pillars, recognized the grace that had been given to me, they gave to
Barnabas and me the right hand of fellowship, agreeing that we should
go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. They asked only one
thing, that we remember the poor, which was actually what I was* eager
to do.
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Mark 7:31-37

Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon
towards the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. They
brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and
they begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him aside in private,
away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat
and touched his tongue. Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said
to him, ‘Ephphatha’, that is, ‘Be opened.’ And immediately his
ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. Then
Jesus* ordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the
more zealously they proclaimed it. They were astounded beyond measure,
saying, ‘He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear
and the mute to speak.’
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Morning Psalms: Psalm 63, 98

Psalm 63

O God, you are my God, I seek you,
   my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
   as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. 
So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,
   beholding your power and glory. 
Because your steadfast love is better than life,
   my lips will praise you. 
So I will bless you as long as I live;
   I will lift up my hands and call on your name. 

My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast,*
   and my mouth praises you with joyful lips 
when I think of you on my bed,
   and meditate on you in the watches of the night; 
for you have been my help,
   and in the shadow of your wings I sing for joy. 
My soul clings to you;
   your right hand upholds me. 

But those who seek to destroy my life
   shall go down into the depths of the earth; 
they shall be given over to the power of the sword,
   they shall be prey for jackals. 
But the king shall rejoice in God;
   all who swear by him shall exult,
   for the mouths of liars will be stopped.

Psalm 98

O sing to the Lord a new song,
   for he has done marvellous things.
His right hand and his holy arm
   have gained him victory. 
The Lord has made known his victory;
   he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations. 
He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness
   to the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
   the victory of our God. 

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;
   break forth into joyous song and sing praises. 
Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre,
   with the lyre and the sound of melody. 
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
   make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord. 

Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
   the world and those who live in it. 
Let the floods clap their hands;
   let the hills sing together for joy 
at the presence of the Lord, for he is coming
   to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
   and the peoples with equity.
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Evening Psalms: Psalm 103

Psalm 103

Bless the Lord, O my soul,
   and all that is within me,
   bless his holy name. 
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
   and do not forget all his benefits— 
who forgives all your iniquity,
   who heals all your diseases, 
who redeems your life from the Pit,
   who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, 
who satisfies you with good as long as you live*
   so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. 

The Lord works vindication
   and justice for all who are oppressed. 
He made known his ways to Moses,
   his acts to the people of Israel. 
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
   slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 
He will not always accuse,
   nor will he keep his anger for ever. 
He does not deal with us according to our sins,
   nor repay us according to our iniquities. 
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
   so great is his steadfast love towards those who fear him; 
as far as the east is from the west,
   so far he removes our transgressions from us. 
As a father has compassion for his children,
   so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him. 
For he knows how we were made;
   he remembers that we are dust. 

As for mortals, their days are like grass;
   they flourish like a flower of the field; 
for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
   and its place knows it no more. 
But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting
   on those who fear him,
   and his righteousness to children’s children, 
to those who keep his covenant
   and remember to do his commandments. 

The Lord has established his throne in the heavens,
   and his kingdom rules over all. 
Bless the Lord, O you his angels,
   you mighty ones who do his bidding,
   obedient to his spoken word. 
Bless the Lord, all his hosts,
   his ministers that do his will. 
Bless the Lord, all his works,
   in all places of his dominion.
Bless the Lord, O my soul.
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